Former commercial or industrial land assessed or cleaned up through EPA’s Brownfields program.
Total Sites
580K
EPA FRS ACRES
Search Radius
3.1 mi
Per-parcel proximity read
Agency
EPA
EPA FRS ACRES
About This Database
- Formal Name
- Brownfields
- Program
- EPA FRS ACRES
- Maintaining Agency
- EPA
- Sites Tracked
- 580,074
What This Means for Growers
Brownfield sites are former commercial or industrial properties that EPA’s Brownfields program (ACRES) has assessed or funded cleanup on. Legacy soil contamination (heavy metals, PAHs, petroleum compounds) may persist, may already be cleaned up, or may have been assessed and found minor — ACRES does not publish a per-site status we can read, so this parcel-level report cannot tell you which applies to a specific listed property. Contact the EPA Brownfields program (or the state agency administering the grant) for that site’s actual status.
The contamination pathway, where it exists, is primarily through direct soil contact. Brownfields represent a wide spectrum of severity — a former dry cleaner has a very different risk profile than a former gas station. Root crops and leafy greens would face the highest risk from any residual soil contamination.
Crop Risk Assessment
Root crops
Direct soil contact would maximize exposure to residual heavy metals or PAHs if legacy contamination is present — ACRES does not tell us whether it is at this specific site.
Leafy greens
Soil splash and dust deposition could contaminate leaf surfaces if residual contamination is present; severity is unconfirmed at the per-site level.
Fruiting crops
Lower translocation to fruit even where soil-level contamination is present.
Tree fruits
Minimal risk for elevated fruit; deep root systems may bypass surface contamination.
Know Before You Grow — Mitigation Steps
- 1.Contact the EPA Brownfields program or the state cleanup agency for this site’s actual assessment/remediation status — ACRES itself does not publish one we can read per site.
- 2.Use raised beds with imported clean soil and barrier fabric over former commercial/industrial land as a precaution regardless of known status.
- 3.Test native soil for heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium) and PAHs before growing food crops on a listed property.
- 4.Former dry cleaners (PCE/TCE) and gas stations (BTEX) have different risk profiles — identify the former use if known.
- 5.Community gardens on brownfield sites should follow EPA Brownfields-to-Greenfields best practices.
Top States for Brownfields
| State | Sites | Density |
|---|---|---|
| California | 196,551 | 1.26 |
| Minnesota | 29,697 | 0.37 |
| New York | 25,402 | 0.54 |
| Michigan | 24,420 | 0.43 |
| Florida | 24,315 | 0.45 |
| Massachusetts | 23,042 | 2.95 |
| Pennsylvania | 18,597 | 0.42 |
| Louisiana | 18,317 | 0.42 |
| Ohio | 17,537 | 0.43 |
| Illinois | 17,481 | 0.31 |
| Texas | 14,589 | 0.06 |
| Wisconsin | 14,081 | 0.26 |
| Virginia | 9,409 | 0.24 |
| Indiana | 9,020 | 0.25 |
| North Carolina | 8,665 | 0.18 |
| Maryland | 8,190 | 0.84 |
| New Jersey | 7,842 | 1.07 |
| Kansas | 6,349 | 0.08 |
| South Carolina | 6,009 | 0.20 |
| Colorado | 5,999 | 0.06 |
Top Counties for Brownfields
| County | State | Sites | Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | CA | 50,287 | 12.39 |
| Orange | CA | 18,808 | 23.72 |
| San Diego | CA | 16,228 | 3.85 |
| Santa Clara | CA | 10,632 | 8.23 |
| San Bernardino | CA | 9,939 | 0.50 |
| Alameda | CA | 9,842 | 13.35 |
| Riverside | CA | 8,468 | 1.17 |
| Hennepin | MN | 8,082 | 14.59 |
| Cook | IL | 6,047 | 6.40 |
| Sacramento | CA | 6,013 | 6.23 |
| Middlesex | MA | 5,878 | 7.19 |
| Contra Costa | CA | 5,174 | 7.22 |
| San Mateo | CA | 4,961 | 11.06 |
| Kern | CA | 4,706 | 0.58 |
| Ventura | CA | 4,514 | 2.45 |
| Fresno | CA | 4,394 | 0.74 |
| San Francisco | CA | 4,228 | 90.57 |
| Wayne | MI | 4,192 | 6.85 |
| San Joaquin | CA | 3,827 | 2.75 |
| Ramsey | MN | 3,358 | 22.05 |
Check Your Address for Brownfields
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